ACT  OF  INCORPORATION 

AND 

STATED  RULES 

OF 

THE  SOCIETY  OF  THE  UNITED  BRETHREN 


PROPAGATING  THE  GOSPEE 


AMONG  THE  HEATHEN. 


ACT 


INCORPORATION 

AND 


STATED  RULES 

OF  THE 

SOCIETY  OF  THE  UNITED  BRETHREN 

FOR  PROPAGATING  THE  GOSPEE 

AMONG 

THE  HEATHEN. 


BETHLEHEM,  PA.: 

Pt’BLISHHD  BY  THE  SOCIETY. 


1901. 


\ 


AN  ACT 


TO  INCORPORATE  THE 

SOCIETY  FOR  PROPAGATING  THE  GOSPEL 

AMONG  THE  HEATHEN, 

FORMED  BY  MEMBERS  OF  THE  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH  OF  THE  UNITED  BRETHREN 

OR 

UNITA8  FRATRUM. 


Section  i. — Whereas  it  has  been  represented  to  this  House  by  the 
Reverend  John  Ettwein,  one  of  the  Bishops  of  the  Church  called 
Unitas  Fratrum  or  United  Brethren,  and  the  Reverend  John  Meder, 
Pastor  in  Ordinary  of  the  said  Church  in  the  City  of  Philadelphia, 
that  since  the  year  of  our  Lord  one  thousand  seven  hundred  and  forty, 
when  the  said  Church  began  to  make  settlements  in  America,  the 
principal  aim  of  their  Members,  coming  over  from  Europe,  was,  to 
carry  the  glorious  truths  of  the  Gospel  to  the  Indians  here  ;  that  they 
have  without  intermission  continued  their  labors  among  the  Indians, 
and,  notwithstanding  the  increase  of  expenses  and  other  difficulties, 
are  resolved  to  pursue  and  support  this  commendable  work,  and  for 
this  purpose  have  formed  a  Society  for  propagating  the  Gospel  among 
the  Heathen,  and  entered  into  certain  Rules  of  Association,  (a  copy 
whereof  they  have  subjoined  to  their  petition,)  and  prayed  to  incorpo¬ 
rate  the  said  Society : 


v 


4 


And  Whereas,  the  propagation  of  the  Gospel  among  the  Indians 
of  America,  is  of  great  importance  to  the  citizens  of  this  and  other 
the  United  States,  and  may,  by  the  blessing  of  God,  be  conducive  to 
the  peace  and  security  of  the  inhabitants  and  settlers  of  our  frontiers, 
and  by  living  examples  of  the  Missionaries  and  the  converts,  the  Sav¬ 
ages  may  be  induced  to  turn  their  minds  to  the  Christian  religion,  in¬ 
dustry,  and  social  life  with  the  citizens  of  the  United  States: 

And  Whereas,  this  House  is  disposed  to  exercise  the  powers  vested 
in  the  Legislature  of  the. Commonwealth,  for  the  encouragement  of  all 
pious  and  charitable  purposes  : 

Section  2. — Be  it  therefore  enacted ,  and  it  is  hereby  enacted  by  the 
Representatives  of  the  Freemen  of  the  Commonwealth  of  Pennsylvania 
in  General  Assembly  met ,  and  by  the  authority  of  the  same ,  That  the 
Reverend  John  Ettwein,  Bishop;  Frederick  William  von  Marshall, 
gentleman  ;  the  Reverend  Andrew  Huebner  and  Paul  Muenster  ;  Hans 
Christian  von  Schweinitz,  gentleman  ;  the  Reverend  David  Zeisber- 
ger,  Junior,  John  August  Klingsohr,  Jeremiah  Denke,  Charles  Gott¬ 
hold  Reichel,  Daniel  Koehler,  Christian  Benzien  and  Godfrey  Brezel, 
the  present  Directors  ; — The  Reverend  Bernhard  Adam  Grube,  Fred¬ 
erick  Peter,  Senior,  and  Jacob  Van  Vleck,  the  present  Assistant 
Directors  of  the  said  Society  ; — The  Reverend  John  Herbst,  John 
Meder,  Francis  Boehler,  James  Birkby,  Lewis  Boehler  and  Abraham 
Reincke  and  others,  the  Ministers  in  the  different  Brethren’s  Congre¬ 
gations,  and  their  successors,  and  all  other  members  of  said  Society, 
who  have  and  hereafter  shall  subscribe  the  Rules  of  the  said  Society, 
be,  and  they  are  hereby  made,  declared  and  constituted,  to  be  a  cor¬ 
poration  and  body  politic  and  corporate  in  law  and  in  fact,  to  have 
continuance  for  ever,  by  the  name,  style  and  title  of  “  The  Society  of 
the  United  Brethren  for  propagating  the  Gospel  among  the  Heathen.  ’  ’ 

Section  j. — And  be  it  further  enacted  by  the  authority  aforesaid , 
That  the  said  corporation  and  their  successors,  by  the  name,  style  and 
title  aforesaid,  shall  forever  hereafter  be  persons  able  and  capable  in 
law  to  purchase,  have,  receive,  take,  hold  and  enjoy  in  fee  simple  or  of 


5 


less  estate  or  estates,  any  lands,  tenements,  rents,  annuities,  liberties, 
franchises  and  other  hereditaments  by  the  gift,  grant,  bargain,  sale, 
alienation,  enfeoffment,  release,  confirmation  or  devise  of  any  person 
or  persons,  bodies  politic  and  corporate,  capable  and  able  to  make 
the  same.  And  further,  that  the  said  corporation  and  their  successors 
may  take  and  receive  any  sum  or  sums  of  money  and  portion  of  goods 
and  chattels,  that  have  been  or  hereafter  shall  be  given  or  bequeathed 
to  them  or  the  said  Society,  by  any  person  or  persons,  bodies  politic  or 
corporate,  able  and  capable  to  make  a  bequest  or  gift  thereof:  Provided , 
that  no  misnomer  of  the  said  corporation  and  their  successors,  shall 
defeat  or  annul  any  gift,  grant,  devise  or  bequest  to  the  said  corpora¬ 
tion,  if  the  intent  of  the  owner  shall  sufficiently  appear  upon  the  face 
of  the  gift,  testament  or  other  writing,  whereby  any  estate  or  interest 
was  intended  to  pass  to  the  said  corporation,  nor  shall  any  non-user  of 
the  rights,  liberties,  privileges  and  authorities  or  any  of  them  hereby 
granted  to  the  said  corporation  create  or  cause  a  forfeiture  thereof. 

Section  4. — And  be  it  further  enacted  by  the  authority  aforesaid , 
That  all  donations  and  contributions,  rents,  interests  and  profits  aris¬ 
ing  from  the  real  and  personal  estate  of  the  aforesaid  corporation,  shall 
by  the  said  Directors  and  their  successors  from  time  to  time  be  applied 
and  laid  out  for  the  maintenance  and  support  of  their  Missionaries  and 
their  Assistants,  for  building  and  supporting  places  of  public  worship 
and  schools,  providing  books  for  the  better  educating,  instructing  and 
civilizing  the  children  of  the  converts  and  others,  among  the  nations 
who  shall  be  desirous  to  commit  their  youths  to  the  care  and  instruc¬ 
tion  of  the  said  Missionaries,  and  for  such  other  pious  and  charit¬ 
able  uses,  as  are  conformable  to  the  true  design  and  intent  of  the  said 
Society. 

Section  5. — And  be  it  further  enacted  by  the  authority  aforesaid , 
That  the  said  corporation  and  their  successors  shall  not  by  deed  or 
otherwise,  grant,  alien,  convey  or  otherwise  dispose  of  any  part  or 
parcel  of  the  real  estate  in  the  said  corporation,  vested  or  to  be  vested 


6 


or  change,  or  incumber  the  same  to  any  person  or  persons  whatsoever, 
except  by  and  with  the  consent  of  a  majority  of  the  regular  contribut¬ 
ing  members  of  the  said  Society,  convened  for  that  purpose. 

Section  6. — And  be  it  further  enacted  by  the  authority  aforesaid, 

That  the  said  Directors  and  Assistant  Directors,  and  their  successors, 
or  a  majority  of  them,  shall  and  may  from  time  to  time  convene  the 

members  of  the  said  Society,  to  make  rules,  by-laws  and  ordinances, 
and  to  transact  every  thing  requisite  for  the  good  government  and 
support  of  the  affairs  of  the  said  Society,  agreeable  to  their  stated 
rules  :  Provided  always,  that  the  said  rules,  by-laws  and  ordinances, 
or  any  of  them,  be  not  repugnant  to  the  laws  and  statutes  in  force 
within  this  Commonwealth. 

Section  7. — And  be  it  further  enacted  by  the  authority  aforesaid, 
That  the  said  Society  and  their  successors,  shall  have  full  power  and 
authority  to  make,  have  and  use  one  common  seal,  with  such  device 
and  inscription  as  they  shall  think  proper,  and  the  same  to  break, 
alter  and  renew  at  their  pleasure. 

Section  8. — And  be  it  further  enacted  by  the  authority  aforesaid,. 
That  the  said  corporation  and  their  successors,  by  the  name,  style  and 
title  aforesaid,  shall  be  able  and  capable  in  law,  to  sue  and  be  sued, 
plead  and  be  impleaded,  in  any  court  or  courts,  before  any  judge  or 
judges,  justice  or  justices,  in  all  and  all  manner  of  suits,  complaints, 
causes,  matters  and  demands  of  whatsoever  kind,  nature  or  form  they 
may  be,  and  all  and  every  other  matter  and  thing  therein  to  do,  in  as 
full  and  effectual  a  manner,  as  any  other  person  or  persons,  bodies 
politic  or  corporate  in  this  Commonwealth  in  the  like  cases  may  or 
ean  do. 

Section  9. — Provided  also,  and  it  is  further  enacted  by  the  authority 
aforesaid,  That  the  clear  yearly  value  or  income  of  the  messuages, 
houses,  lands,  tenements,  rents,  annuities,  or  other  hereditaments  and 
real  estate  of  the  said  corporation,  shall  not  exceed  the  sum  of  two 


7 


thousand  pounds,  lawful  money  of  the  State  of  Pennsylvania,  to  be 
taken  and  esteemed,  exclusive  of  the  moneys  arising  from  the  contri¬ 
butions  of  the  actual  members,  and  donations  of  the  honorary  members 
or  other  friends  to  the  said  institution. 

Signed  by  Order  of  the  House , 

THOMAS  MIFFLIN,  Speaker . 

Enacted  into  a  law,  at  Philadephia,  on  Wednesday,  the  twenty- 
seventh  day  of  February,  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  one  thousand  sevens 
hundred  and  eighty-eight. 

PETER  ZACHARY  LLOYD, 

Clerk  of  the  General  Assembly ~ 


STATED  RULES 


OF  TNI 

SOCIETY  OF  THE  UNITED  BRETHREN 

FOR 

PROPAGATING  THE  GOSPEL 

AMOKS 

THE  HEATHEN. 

Amended  March  22,  1900. 

✓ 

ARTICLE  I. 

This  Society  shall  have  its  fixed  seat  at  Bethlehem,  in  Northampton 
County,  in  the  State  of  Pennsylvania,  where  the  Board  of  Directors 
will  meet,  and  the  stated  general  meetings  shall  be  held. 

ARTICLE  II. 

All  ministers  of  the  American  Province  of  the  Brethren’s  Church, 
North,  are  by  virtue  of  their  office  and  character  members  of  this 
Society.  Others  may  be  received  as  members,  as  hereinafter  di¬ 
rected. 

ARTICLE  III. 

Any  communicant  member  of  the  Brethren’s  Church,  being  of  full 
age,  who  shall  become  a  stated  contributor  to  the  funds  of  the  Society, 
and  who  shall  be  recommended  by  the  Board  of  Directors  and  approved 
by  a  majority  of  members  present  at  any  general  meeting  of  the 
Society,  shall  be  considered  a  member  of  the  Society,  and  have  a  seat 
and  vote  at  its  meetings. 


10 


Besides  these,  the  Society  may  receive  persons  of  other  churches  and 
denominations,  who  are  friends  and  well-wishers  to  the  furtherance  of 
the  Gospel  among  the  heathen,  as  honorary  members;  who  shall  be 
admitted  to  the  general  meetings,  but  have  no  vote  in  the  delibera¬ 
tions  of  the  Society. 

ARTICLE  IV. 

As  the  true  and  only  design  of  the  Society  is,  to  assist  such  Mission¬ 
aries  and  their  Assistants,  who  from  time  to  time  are  sent  by  the  Direc¬ 
tors  of  the  Brethren's  Missions,  to  preach  the  Gospel  to  the  heathen, 
we  will  with  pleasure  further  this  blessed  work,  by  all  the  means  in  our 
power,  and  not  confine  our  assistance  to  mere  stated  charities  and  con¬ 
tributions. 

ARTICLE  V. 

The  management  of  the  affairs  of  the  Society  shall  be  in  the  hands 
of  a  Board  of  Directors,  which  shall  be  constituted  of  the  Provincial 
Elders’  Conference  of  the  American  Province,  North,  and  their  suc¬ 
cessors  in  office,  together  with  six  members  who  shall  be  elected  an¬ 
nually  at  the  general  meeting  of  the  Society  out  of  the  actual  members 
of  the  Society. 

The  Board  shall  organize  by  electing  its  President  and  Vice- 
President  from  out  of  the  membership  of  the  Provincial  Elders’  Con¬ 
ference,  and  by  electing  its  Treasurer  and  Secretary  from  out  of  its 
own  membership. 

Three  Auditors  shall  likewise  be  annually  elected  at  the  general 
meeting  of  the  Society  out  of  the  number  of  the  actual  members  of 
the  Society. 

ARTICLE  VI. 

The  Treasurer  shall  receive  and  account  for  all  moneys  belonging  to 
the  Society,  and  shall  be  held  responsible  to  the  Board  of  Directors. 
He  shall  keep  proper  accounts  in  books  provided  for  that  purpose,  of 
all  moneys  lent  out  by  the  Society  on  Bond,  Mortgage,  Judgment,  and 
in  general  of  all  investments  whatever.  He  shall  also  keep  in  said 


11 


books  a  cash  account  containing  a  statement  of  all  moneys  received  in 
payment  of  Bonds,  Interest,  Dividends  or  of  any  other  investments 
made,  together  with  a  regular  account  of  all  current  receipts  and  dis¬ 
bursements.  The  said  books  shall  be  submitted  to  any  member  of  said 
Board  of  Directors  for  inspection,  at  all  reasonable  hours. 

The  Treasurer  shall  lay  a  monthly  statement  of  the  current  receipts 
and  disbursements  before  the  Board  of  Directors,  and  said  Directors 
shall  meet  once  a  month  for  such  and  other  business  purposes,  and  in¬ 
vest  such  moneys  from  time  to  time  as  they  may  deem  expedient. 

The  Treasurer  shall  also  make  out  annually  a  full  statement  of  his  re¬ 
ceipts  and  disbursements,  up  to  the  first  of  August  in  each  year,  and  a 
separate  specified  balance  sheet,  showing  the  state  of  his  books,  on  the 
aforesaid  day,  both  of  which  shall  be  submitted  to  the  Auditors  within 
ten  days  after  the  expiration  of  the  financial  year  on  the  above  stated 
day,  to  be  by  them  examined  and  compared  with  the  books  of  the 
Treasurer. 

The  Auditors  after  having  duly  audited  the  above  said  annual  state¬ 
ment  of  the  Treasurer,  and  after  having  carefully  examined  all  the 
vouchers,  such  as  Bonds,  Mortgages,  and  all  evidences  of  debt  or  stock, 
shall  whenever  they  deem  it  expedient,  submit  to  the  Board  of  Direc¬ 
tors  a  report  in  writing. 

A  copy  of  the  aforesaid  annual  statement  shall  also,  as  early  as  pos¬ 
sible  be  submitted  to  the  Board  of  Directors,  and  the  Treasurer  shall 
be  directed  by  them  to  present  the  same  to  the  Society  in  the  next 
general  meeting.  It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  Secretary  to  record  the 
said  balance  sheet,  and  statements  of  accounts  in  a  book  provided  for 
the  purpose. 

Whenever  in  pursuance  of  an  election  the  person  holding  the  office 
of  Treasurer,  has  been  superseded,  he  shall  within  eight  days  after  said 
election,  deliver  into  the  hands  of  his  successor,  all  Books,  Bonds, 
Mortgages  and  other  papers,  the  property  of  the  Society  together  with 
the  cash  on  hand. 


12 


ARTICLE  VII. 

The  Directors  shall,  at  the  annual  meeting,  communicate  to  the 
members  of  the  Society  a  full  report  of  their  proceedings  and  accounts 
of  the  state  and  progress  of  the  missions. 

ARTICLE  VIII. 

The  Directors  shall  at  least  once  every  year,  appoint  a  general  meeting 
of  the  Society;  but  the  President  with  the  concurrence  of  four  of  the 
Directors,  may  call  special  meetings,  if  the  concerns  of  the  Society 
shall  require  it. 

The  Board  of  Directors  is  authorized  to  fill  any  vacancy  or  vacancies 
which  during  the  current  year  may  take  place  in  the  Board  or  in  the 
number  of  Auditors,  until  the  next  general  meeting  of  the  Society. 

ARTICLE  IX. 

It  is  unalterably  decreed,  that  all  donations  and  bequests  to  the 
Society,  and  all  its  possessions,  effects  and  property  whatsoever  and 
wheresoever,  shall  at  all  times  and  forever  be  and  remain  appropriated, 
secured,  made  use  of,  and  expended,  for  and  to  the  support  and  bene¬ 
fit  of  the  missions  of  the  Brethren’s  Church  among  the  heathen,  and 
to  no  other  use  or  purpose  whatsoever. 

And  all  the  members  of  the  Society,  for  themselves  and  their  heirs, 
hereby  expressly  renounce  all  and  every  claim  to  the  property  of  the 
Society,  and  promise,  that  if  any  of  the  Society’s  possessions  or  effects 
whatsoever  shall  be  intrusted  to  their  hands,  or  if  their  names,  or  the 
name  of  any  of  them  shall  be  used  in  trust  for  the  Society,  they  will 
faithfully  and  without  reserve  perform  and  fulfil,  at  all  times  and  in  all 
cases,  such  orders  and  directions  respecting  the  property  thus  entrusted 
to  them  or  any  of  them,  as  aforesaid,  as  the  Society  by  the  Direc¬ 
tors  shall  think  proper  to  give. 

ARTICLE  X. 

We  have  no  other  view  or  aim  but  the  furtherance  and  propagation 
of  the  knowledge  of  Jesus  Christ  among  the  heathen,  and  esteem  it  a 
high  privilege  to  support  that  praiseworthy  work  to  the  best  of  our 


13 


abilities,  being  constrained  to  it  by  the  love  of  Christ.  All  contingent 
expenses  which  shall  be  necessarily  incurred  by  the  Directors  and  of¬ 
ficers  aforesaid,  or  any  of  them,  shall  be  defrayed  by  the  Society ;  and 
the  Directors  are  authorized  to  allow  a  reasonable  compensation  to  the 
Treasurer  and  to  the  Secretary  and  to  such  agents  as  they  shall  or  may 
deem  expedient  to  appoint. 

ARTICLE  XI. 

As  every  member  is  at  liberty  to  withdraw  from  the  Society,  the 
Society  also  reserves  to  itself  the  right  of  excluding  any  member,, 
whenever  it  shall  be  found  necessary  :  Provided ,  that  no  such  exclu¬ 
sion  shall  take  place,  unless  by  a  previous  vote  of  the  Directors,  and  the 
consent  of  two-thirds  of  the  voting  members  present  at  a  general  meet¬ 
ing.  All  persons  who  have  been  excluded  in  manner  aforesaid,  ox 
who  by  separation  from  the  Brethren’s  Church  have  ceased  to  be 
members  of  the  Society,  may  be  re-admitted  as  members,  by  a  majority 
of  the  votes  of  the  members  at  a  general  meeting. 

ARTICLE  XII. 

A  printed  copy  of  the  Act  of  Incorporation,  together  with  the 
Stated  Rules  of  the  Society,  shall  be  delivered  to  each  new  member, 
as  soon  as  he  shall  have  subscribed  his  name  to  the  Stated  Rules,  in  a 
book  kept  for  the  purpose. 

ARTICLE  XIII. 

These  articles  hereby  agreed  upon  and  accepted,  can  only  be 
amended  after  mature  deliberation,  and  the  approbation  of  two- thirds 
of  the  members  present  at  a  general  meeting  ;  and  if  any  amendment 
is  made,  it  shall  in  no  wise  be  contrary  to  the  Constitution  of  the 
Brethren’s  Church,  and  the  instructions  for  the  Missionaries  of  the 
Brethren  among  the  heathen.  And  that  each  such  intended  amend¬ 
ment  may  be  maturely  examined  by  the  Directors  and  every  voting 
member,  it  shall  be  proposed  in  a  general  meeting,  and  in  the  next 
general  meeting  of  the  Society,  it  shall  be  considered  and  brought  to  a 
determination. 


V 

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